Femme à homme
by Beckettay
Summary: Sebastian vows to bring an army to kill M!age Hawke and Anders. A year later, they appear in Starkhaven, in a plot on Sebastian's life. Hawke is exposed as something else entirely, and the two re-form their friendship. M/M, of a sort.
1. Assassinations

**M!age Carroll Hawke is in a romance with Anders, and has a high friendship with Sebastian. He allows Anders to live, and fights for the mages with him, promising they will be together forever. Sebastian is furious at this, and swears to bring an army, to kill both of them if necessary. They are found by Sebastian in Starkhaven, Justice had almost completely consumed Anders, and had threatened Hawke into making an attempt on Sebastian's life, so that they are free to continue with the mage revolution without fear of being captured. This is where our story starts.**

Sebastian sat at his desk, eyelids drooping. He supposed he should go to bed. Starkhaven wouldn't run well if its ruler were too exhausted to function. There was so much damn paperwork to do, when he could be actually doing things to help people. Still... It would help in the long run, even if it was mind-numbingly boring. Pushing the chair he was sat in back, and standing up, he surveyed the room fondly. It had been his grandfather's room – the chair a mahogany rocking chair, impractical, perhaps, for desk work, but it gave Sebastian comfort to sit in it, so impractical or not, it would stay. The four poster bed was plain for one of its kind – his grandfather had not been one for impractical luxuries, and from his time at the Chantry, neither was he. And with that, his thoughts turned back, as they often did, to that day almost a year ago.

Almost a year, now, since the explosion of the Chantry at Kirkwall, and Sebastian still felt the same anger and grief he had back then. He had trusted Hawke. The two had been good friends, and he cursed himself for allowing the mage to trick him, especially where Anders was concerned. He thought he had known him – he didn't agree with all the man's viewpoints, but he was amiable enough, and easy to get along with. He had always thought it was simple charm that the man possessed, but now... Now it was easy to see that he had been manipulated. Perhaps not by blood magic, he doubted that the mage would stoop that low, although he supposed it was possible. But nevertheless, he had been tricked by Hawke into believing he, and his lover, were good men, and by himself for trusting Hawke's opinion on that blasted abomination.

He shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. Now was not the time to reminisce. He would have justice for the murders of Grand Cleric Elthina and all the innocents in the Chantry that day, but Starkhaven had to come first. Hawke and Anders would pay for their crimes, but now was not the time to think of it. Shedding his clothes into a pile on the floor, Sebastian crawled into bed, and settled into an uneasy slumber.

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Little more than an hour or so later, Sebastian awoke to shouts in the castle. He opened his eyes just in time to see a shadowy figure looming over his bed,and rolled to the right just as a fireball set alight where he had been laying. The four poster bed started flaming, and the smoke bought Sebastian enough time to grab a dagger from his bedstand. He tried to dash to the door so he could alert the guards, but was cut off by his attacker.

"Will you run, then, Prince?" a gravelly tone spat at him. The voice vaguely registered with Sebastian, but he couldn't place it. "Will you run from your responsibilities to your kingdom, and from your fate, as you ran from the plight of the mages?"

"Who am I speaking to?" Sebastian snapped, keeping an eye on the movements in the dark room. "And who are you to speak to me about running while you skulk in the dark? Show yourself, criminal!"

The entire room lit up with blinding blue light, and for a moment Sebastian was blinded.

"_I am no criminal. It is proof of your ignorance that you would call me such!_"

Recognition dawned, and as the white hot rage flushed over him, it was all Sebastian could do to keep his head. There were sounds of a scuffle outside his room, and as he had seen the mage's combat magic in action, he decided to keep the abomination talking until he had more favourable odds, and only hope that Anders didn't have reinforcements.

"Anders." he growled, voice flat with the effort it took to keep his feet glued to the ground. "Who have you come to murder this time?"

Anders scoffed. "_You,_ who would impede our cause to save mages, _you_, who would kill us for our liberation of magekind everywhere? _You_ would _dare_ judge _us?"_

_ "Liberation,_ is it, Anders? Is that what you say so you can sleep at night? Is that how you justify the murders of so many innocent families at Mass that day, the murders of innocent members of the Chantry and public alike, the _murder_ of Grand Cleric Elthina?"

"They were necessary sacrifices to ensure the safety of every mage ever torn from his family, every mage forced to blood magic by the templars, freedom for mages across the whole of Thedas, just as Anders was. They are insignificant in the whole picture, as was Anders."

Sebastian was vaguely aware of what Anders was saying, and even more vaguely aware of formulating some response as he kept an ear to the noises outside – it sounded like a hell of a battle was going on. He hoped against hope his men would win – he doubted he stood a chance against the possessed apostate alone. "...But enough talk. I shall have my _justice_, and you shall seek to repent your sins at the Maker's side."

Anders lunged at Sebastian at the same time the door burst open, proving just the distraction Sebastian needed to rush the mage, holding a dagger to his throat.

"**Don't kill him!**" a voice yelled from the open door. "**Maker, Sebastian, don't kill him!**"

Sebastian ignored the man's frantic yelling, and stabbed Anders once, hard to the back of the neck. He turned to the mage, who had collapsed, stricken, to his knees on the floor, surrounded now by more than ten of his guards.

"Hawke." Sebastian said, paying little attention to the mage as he picked up a pair of trousers and shoved them on, well aware it was hard to be intimidating when you were naked as a nug on a spit. "As you can probably tell, your words mean little to me anymore. But go ahead, tell me why I should spare you."

Hawke remained silent, and lifted his chin defiantly at Sebastian, tears streaming down his cheeks. "If I told you you wouldn't believe me." Sebastian made a small noise of anger, and turned away from the sprawled mage on the floor, and towards his Guard-Captain who stood to weary attention.

"How many soldiers did we lose tonight, Guard-Captain Jeryn? How many lives does this pathetic excuse of a mage have to pay for?"

The Guard-Captain shot an uneasy glance at Hawke, then back to his ruler. "...We could have lost fifteen, Ser."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Could have? What is that supposed to mean?"

Jeryn shifted his feet worryingly - it took a lot to shake the seasoned soldier, and Sebastian felt even more on edge.

"...We didn't lose any, Ser. Fifteen men and women were mortally injured, and seven more broken bones and such the like. The mage," he nodded his head towards Anders, "You killed was taking no prisoners."

Sebastian snorted. "I gathered that. Although the abomination tends to talk too much to be a competent mercenary, he'd be shot down before he was halfway through a speech..."

"He's not an abomination!" Hawke shouted.

One of the guards backhanded him across the face with a gauntleted hand, and there was a loud crunch as something broke. "Silence, mage-scum! You'll speak when spoken to."

Sebastian shot the guard a reproachful look, but otherwise did not comment. "Carry on, Jeryn."

"Yes Ser. I... have never seen anything like it. When we realised the mages were inside the castle, and Maker only knows how they got in, we drew arms. Both mages attacked offensively, but that one," Again, he gestured to Anders' body, "Seemed to want to leave no survivors. Just when we thought all hope was lost, we... This one, Hawke, whatever you called him, started healing us. Brought Samantha back from near-death. Don't get me wrong, he was still attacking, albeit using only paralysation on the wounded. No-one's damaged beyond bruises, Ser." Sebastian raised an eyebrow, then turned back to Jeryn, who was still talking. "...Shall I call the templars, Ser?"

"...No. I am taking the mage down to the dungeon, and I do not wish to be disturbed. I believe Lieutenant Brear has some templar training, does she not? Set her outside the door to drain his magic, and I shall question him."

"Aye, Ser. It shall be done."

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After ordering the guards to leave him, but stay vigilant in case of more attacks, Sebastian turned to Hawke. The man had put on weight, Maker only knew how with a life on the run. His hair had grown to his shoulders, sticking out in matted straggling lumps, and his beard had been completely clean shaven, and recently. The prince narrowed his eyes at his former friend, who was trying to make it across the room to his lover's body, struggling somewhat as his hands had been tied and the templar Brear's powers had sapped his energy as well as his magic. Sebastian stopped him.

"No. I am not a cruel man, Hawke. You will see him, but he's not going anywhere, and you have questions to answer." For a moment, Hawke looked like he was going to argue, then visibly deflated and nodded, subdued.

"I... what do you want to know?"

"Can you stand?" Sebastian asked. "With the holy smite, I mean. You don't look very steady." Hawke nodded, and struggled to his feet, sweating slightly. Sebastian knew for a fact that Brear had been a very strong templar before she had been dismissed by the Order for helping mages to escape from the Starkhaven Circle when it burnt down. Sebastian had given her another chance and a small supply of lyrium, on the condition she would use her templar abilities to help him should the need arise. He had seen Lieutenant Brear's combat and templar skills in action, and knew that Hawke must have got even more powerful to even be able to stand. _Hopefully not blood magic..._

Sebastian called for two guards, and they, Lieutenant Brear, he and Hawke walked to the dungeons, where the soldiers all waited outside, the templar the closest to the door. Sebastian glared at Hawke.

"Understand I am only letting you live because you healed all my soldiers. Whether I change my mind will depend on what you tell me. And if I find out you have lied to me..."

"Have you ever seen me lie, Sebastian?" Carroll asked tiredly.

Sebastian smiled slightly. "'There's a fire just round the other side of this block', comes to mind."

Hawke almost laughed then. "Yes, fair point. Merrill never really got elaborate ruses like that... Bless her." His look became far away and distant, remembering old friends, and times gone past. "...I suppose I owe you an explanation for this... this knife in the back." he said, face twisted and voice bitter.

"Ah. I haven't checked you for weapons yet. Considering your boyfriend just tried to kill me, and you helped, I better had, don't you think?" Sebastian joked, slightly worried at how easy it was to see the old Hawke, the Hawke that hadn't been an accomplice to murder...

Hawke paled visibly, and shook his head. "No. I... I, no. Please don't."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "Hawke. What don't you want me to see?"

"Just... I can't..."

Sebastian stepped towards the shorter man, who seemed to have shrivelled over this past year in confidence. "I'm going to search you. If you would take your shirt off, I'll let you keep your trousers, if you're that bloody worried I'll start having a measuring contest. The templar can always re-smite you, but I'm not taking the chance you have a knife up your sleeve.

"No, I bloody won't!" Hawke yelped.

"Then I will." Sebastian growled. A scuffle ensued, and Sebastian grabbed Hawke's shirt, ripping it as Hawke fell over from exhaustion due to the holy smite. His eyes widened, and Hawke moved his hands to cover his chest, but he was too late.

Sebastian had expected a knife, or blood magic scars even, but... not this.

Hawke was a woman.

A more than slightly pregnant woman.


	2. Revelations

Sebastian stood there, gobsmacked. After a moment he realised he was staring, blushed, and looked round for something to cover Hawke with. Finding nothing, he averted his eyes slightly.

"Sebastian..."

"I don't know who you are, and I don't know what you've done with Hawke. So you'd better start explaining before I call the templars."

Hawke sighed, pulling the remains of his already tattered shirt around him.

"I'll tell you... everything. Can you get me a shirt first? I'm getting kind of cold."

Sebastian nodded. "Aye."

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Fully dressed now, Hawke began explaining. "I... haven't always been entirely honest with you. Well, not that... Not that I'd been honest with anyone before Anders." At the mention of Anders, Hawke's face fell, and he fought back tears.

"Anyway... I can prove I'm Carroll Hawke, but I'll do it once I've explained, it will make more sense that way. As you know, my father was a mage, as was my sister Beth. The Hawke family only ever had one son. Carver."

Sebastian made as if to interrupt, but Hawke held up a hand. "I have never told this to anyone that's living, and only one or two people suspect. I... was born female." Gesturing to his stomach, Hawke smiled crookedly. "I suppose some would say I still am. I knew when I turned nine that I was born in the wrong body. You don't hear much of it in Ferelden, but it's a lot more common in places like Orlais, where there's more, umm... variety of people. I'm sure it still happens, but my guess is people don't want to draw attention in places like Kirkwall and Ferelden. Unless they work at the whorehouse anyway..."

Sebastian laughed, remembering a story Carver had told about Gamlen's visits to the Blooming Rose. "Aye. I remember once I met Gamlen when he was fighting with Carver. Carver brought that Blooming Rose story up, poor sod shut right up."

Hawke smiled weakly. "Mmm. Anyway, the first person I told was Bethany. She can only have been about six, and together we told Father. He... didn't take it well to begin with. He felt he'd lost a daughter. After a week or two, he came to me when I was walking round the woods one day. Said Bethany had talked to him, she was a smart girl even then. He said he'd rather have a happy son than a miserable daughter. That was possibly the best day of my life, looking back. Mother always thought we moved on so Bethany wasn't caught by the templars, but really we moved to Lothering so I could get a fresh start as a boy."

By now, Sebastian's head was spinning. "So, your Mother knew? And Carver, obviously. How did they never slip up and call you female? No offence Hawke, but I can nay see Leandra getting used to that easily. There was a big fuss when she found out you were with Anders years ago."

Hawke shook his head. "No. She didn't know. I... Father and Bethany were the only ones that ever knew. You've got to understand, Father was an extremely powerful mage, rivalling me, and Orsino, every mage we've met, Father had the strongest magical aura."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, suddenly angry. "Blood magic then?"

Hawke looked shocked, then furious. "No! Maker, Sebastian, you're as bad as Fenris! Why does everything always come down to that? Father was a great healer and a brilliant elemental mage. That's partly where Bethany and I got our passions for those schools of magic from. But his real passion was entropy. We knew it would upset Mother and Carver, and they'd never understand. He spent a few months before we moved convincing Mother and Carver I was born male using entropic spells. Nothing harmful, just the hints of suggestion. Then, when we moved, he kept it up. He taught me how before he died, and it only needed topping up once a month or so. That's part of why I was so furious when Carver became a templar. I was terrified he'd find out. I'm pretty sure he suspects something, to be honest, as it's hard to use entropy on him now without him noticing, now he's a templar."

"He never said anything to me." Sebastian mused.

"I doubt he would if he did know." Hawke replied. "I don't think he's sure what to think, and doesn't want to look stupid. Even if he knows there's something wrong, I doubt he knows what it is."

Sebastian nodded. "It makes sense so far. If I find out you're lying, Hawke..."

Carroll smirked. "Which I'm sure you would. I think the best lie I ever told was that Ser Conrad was doing "demony things" late at night. With goats."

Despite himself, Sebastian smiled. "Aye. But my statement still stands."

Anyway, that's the main explanation with. I... think I owe you one about tonight as well, however."

"I'm listening."

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Sebastian sat at his desk with a brandy. He had no idea how to deal with this situation. He'd had it planned out what he'd do when he found the two apostates – Anders would be killed with minimum fuss, so as to not make a martyr out of him. His remains would be burnt, and thrown into the Waking Sea unofficially, and no-one would hear of his death.

Hawke... now Hawke would have been a different matter. Sebastian had planned a trial for the mage, over and done with quickly, then a public hanging before the templars could steal his revenge from him. When he first saw Hawke he had even considered gutting him on the spot, considering the two apostates had stormed his castle with the intention to kill him. But then he had heard from his Guard-Captain what Hawke had done, how many people he'd injured, then saved... And he remembered, that for all his faults, Carroll Hawke was a healer at heart. As he had taken Hawke down to the dungeon, his thoughts had been swirling. Should he not let the mage from the dungeon for his crimes, with no interaction with people except for twice-daily meals? He knew Hawke was a social creature, and thought that may be a fitting punishment. Or even hand him over to the templars – he considered perhaps requesting them to make him tranquil – at least then the mage would be of no danger and some use. Perhaps he could use his original plan and go ahead with the trial and hanging.

Then Hawke had told him of his previous life... Or should it be her previous life? Sebastian was at a loss for what to do in such a situation. Hawke had kept referring to... himself as male, so Sebastian supposed that was what he wanted. He may be a criminal, but he should still be treated with some respect... And the fact that Hawke had told him Anders had blackmailed him into the attack on the castle gave him more food for thought. Of course, it was possible Carroll was lying. But Sebastian just had a feeling he was telling the truth.

Now, with the plethora of new information Hawke had freely given, he was at a loss for what to do. It was clear he couldn't hand the mage over to the templars now – he wondered what the mother being made tranquil would do to an unborn child. Hanging was also out of the question – he would not be held responsible for an innocent's death.

Gulping down the rest of his brandy to steel his nerves, Sebastian knew he would not come close anytime soon to making a decision. But he supposed it was time to let Hawke out of the dungeon – it was cold down there, and not the best place for someone expecting a child to stay.


	3. Violations

The door to Carroll's cell banged open, and he squinted in the sudden light. Two of Sebastian's guards, as well as the templar Brear, stood in the doorway.

"His Royal Highness wishes to speak with you, Ser." One guard said, obviously nervous of the famed apostate Champion of Kirkwall. "If you would come with us?" Hawke stood up, nervous of what punishment Sebastian would impose, and hoping he would get to see Anders before the sentence was carried out. He walked along the hallways of the castle, flanked by the two guards and templar. Eventually, they got to Sebastian's sleeping quarters, where the guards stepped away from Carroll, but remained nearby, vigilant.

"Sebastian." Hawke greeted nervously.

"Hawke." The prince replied. He turned to face the mage, and beckoned towards another room. "Close your eyes, and come with me." Carroll followed, curious and slightly anxious about where Sebastian was taking him. They took several flights of stairs up and down, and hallways until Hawke was thoroughly disorientated, which he assumed was Sebastian's plan. Eventually they stopped at a door that could have anywhere in the castle. "Forgive me for the secrecy," Sebastian said, "But I can't run the risk that you know the exact location of Anders's body – I want no-one to know he has been killed, or he will become a martyr." Carroll opened his mouth to argue, then changed his mind, nodding agreeably.

"I... guess that makes sense. Can I... Can I see him?" Sebastian nodded.

"If you don't mind, we will discuss suitable burial arrangements later." Teary eyed, Hawke nodded again submissively. "I'll leave you to it for a while, Hawke. But if there's even a trace of magic..."

"Maker, Sebastian!" Hawke rounded on him angrily. "Why does it always boil down to mages being at fault with you? We're not the demons people say we are! I can guarantee you've fucked, lied, and killed your way through more people than me, I wonder what bloody Andraste would have to say about that?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Interesting you put fucking and killing in the same pile there, Hawke. Something you need to confess? I'm still licensed for the confessionals, so if you are interested let me know." With that, Sebastian turned away from Hawke and walked back to his sleeping quarters, leaving Hawke alone with the guards. Embarrassed, Hawke lowered his eyes from those of the guards, and walked into the room. He gasped in anguish when he saw Anders laid out on a wooden desk, cleaned up thoroughly, but an angry wound still showed on his neck. A gash spanned from the back of the man's neck all the way through to the front of his throat, flecks of encrusted blood dried around the wound, despite someone's decent attempts at cleaning his body up, which Hawke was somewhat thankful for, despite the circumstances. Pulling up a chair, he sat next to Anders. Taking a deep breath, Carroll placed Anders's cold hand in his warm one.

"Hello Love." He said, the trace of a smile in his voice, although he felt anything but. "I don't know if you can hear me. You've never been very religious, and I wasn't as good an Andrastian as I should've been, what with being an apostate and all. I'd like to think you're at peace now though... Let's hope so." Pausing briefly, Carroll wiped a couple of tears off the end of his nose. "I suppose I'll be a single father now, won't I? I'd hoped you might be able to hang on the last few months. Help me name the baby. Gosh, what am I going to name him? Or her. I hope it doesn't turn out like me, love. I wouldn't wish these difficulties on anyone. Well... Except maybe Isabella. Only because I'm sure it would be quite a novelty for her." Carroll laughed quietly, before his mood turned sombre again. "I don't know if I can do this without you, love. Sometimes I wish you'd never met that spirit. He closed his eyes, resting his head in his hands. "I suppose if you hadn't met Justice, you wouldn't have met me. So in a way, I'm grateful to him. A very odd way." Squeezing Anders's hand, Carroll stood up to leave. "I love you, Anders. You will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. At least Justice and you are at peace now."

Turning away from Anders to let the guards know he was finished, Hawke turned back to Anders for the final time, ready to say his last goodbyes.

And felt a hand on his shoulder.

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Sebastian sat in his study, filling in forms after forms after forms. His head was still whirring as to what to do with Hawke – by no means was he to be set free, but Sebastian didn't want to hand him over to the authorities, or execute him either. That only left one option – to keep Hawke imprisoned under his custody. It wasn't like he could put him in the dungeon, though, if only for the sake of his child. And there was no way he was sleeping in the castle, either – that seemed more like a reward than a punishment. Thinking hard, Sebastian ran a hand through his auburn hair, his brow crinkled with ideas of what to do with Carroll Hawke. He could stay in a servant's house in the castle grounds, Sebastian supposed. There wasn't one free at the moment, but the head cook's wife had recently had twins, meaning their house was now too small for them. Sebastian figured he could move them into the castle for the moment, and get a new house built for them – perhaps with a n extra room on top of what they needed for when the children were older.

So now Hawke had an abode, and perhaps Lieutenant Emma Brear could be persuaded to be his personal guard and jailor. Sebastian still didn't know what to do about Hawke's punishment, however. It was a hard decision. The mage would have to be watched, and not allowed to use magic unsupervised, that much was for sure. Maker only knew how he could help the fallen Champion to atone for his crimes, but he would find a way.

Standing from his desk chair, Sebastian made his way back to where Anders's body was being kept, to see how Hawke was getting on. As he neared the end of the hallway the room was on, Sebastian's eyes widened. The door to the room where Anders was being kept was charred, and the soldiers outside were slamming themselves against the doorway, trying to get in. As he watched, a forcefield appeared outside the door, sending one of the guards sprawling, landing next to Sebastian's feet with a crash. Only then did Sebastian realise that there had been no sound before – Hawke must have put a noise muffling field round the door. Sebastian knelt down, and helped the dazed and confused man up.

"What happened, Guardsman? What's going on?"


	4. Abominations

The young guardsman staggered for a moment, disoriented by his recent close introduction to the floor, and then seemed to realise Sebastian was talking to him. He stood to attention, and saluted him.

"Your Highness! I would advise you to stay back, we don't know what the mage is capable of..."

"I can more than handle myself, lad. Tell me what happened guardsman!" Sebastian answered impatiently.

The guard nodded. "Yes, Serah. We were stood outside, giving Serah Hawke some space with the apostate's body. We heard Hawke talking, then after a while he opened the door, and we thought he was coming out. The door slammed shut, and... Oh Maker," The guard stuttered, seemingly overwhelmed by what had gone on here.

"Carry on, guardsman." Sebastian prompted gently, yet sternly. "There could be peoples' lives at stake here."

"Aye, Ser! I'm sorry Ser! I've never met a mage before, Serah, I'm somewhat... overwhelmed." The young guardsman admitted, pulling an apologetic face. "We... we heard a shout from inside. We couldn't be sure if it was one or two, but there was a loud crash before the mage put a noise muffling spell up. We tried breaking the door down to no avail, and Lieutenant Brear tried to smite him, but she said she could just feel it hadn't worked. She said the only reason a smite wouldn't work was if... If a mage had been possessed."

"Possessed?" Sebastian said, colour draining from his face. "As in a demon?"

"Yes, Serah. She said it was odd, though, as often when mages are possessed they aren't as susceptible to holy smites, but not completely immune, unless it's a demon that was trapped outside the Fade."

"...Oh Maker." Sebastian said, if possible going even paler. "Are you sure?"

The guardsman caught onto Sebastian's panic, and shifted his feet anxiously. "No, Ser. You'd have to ask Brear."

"Aye, thank you lad." The two ran up to the bubble to help the other two guards, and Sebastian knocked on the door furiously.

"Hawke! Hawke, open this door now!" There was no reply from inside, and Sebastian's anxiety grew. "Hawke! Are you in there?" Again, there was no answer. Remembering that the guardsman had said that there were two voices, he turned to Lietenant Brear. "Lietenant! Is that Hawke's magic or another's? Have you any way to tell?"

Brear flicked her red hair out of her face, and turned to Sebastian, momentarily stopping her relentless assault on the door. "Your Majesty." She replied, bowing her head slightly. "I can't be sure – in the earlier battle I came in towards the end. It is certainly familiar, but I would guess it is not him.

Sebastian nodded. "And could it be different because he has given into a demon?" He scowled, but Brear shook her head almost before he was done.

"No, Serah. The aura is reminiscent of the other mage, the one you killed. Of course, that would be very unlikely – he would have had to be possessed beforehand, or the veil would have had to be torn to -" She paused, noticing the look on Sebastian's face. "Your Majesty? Is there something wrong?"

Sebastian didn't answer immediately, but rummaged in his pockets, and brought out a tiny vial of acid he kept on him occasionally to practice his trap making skills. "Thank the Maker I left that in my pocket from a few days ago..." he murmured under his breath. Turning his attention to the vial of acid, Sebastian answered the lieutenant. "Hawke could be in great danger, especially if your holy smite has drained his magic." He replied to the lieutenant, whilst carefully applying the acid to the hinges.

"Serah?" She queried, hand on her sword at the prince's vocalisation of danger.

"Anders. He was possessed by a spirit of Justice trapped outside the Fade, which later corrupted into a spirit of Vengeance." Sebastian replied. "Had I known that the spirit could linger after death, I wouldn't have..."

There was a click as the last hinge fell from the door, and the rusty lock smoked into nothingness. With a kick from Sebastian, the door fell inwards, and they all drew their swords from their scabbards – or in Sebastian's case his dagger. "Be careful." he uttered, as a blue glow lit up the room.

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Carroll's sense of dread grew as the hand on his shoulder tightened, and a slight blue glow lit up in the corners of his vision.

"...Anders?" He was dimly aware of a noise muffling sphere going up as the person behind him started talking.

"Anders is no more, and you know this." A voice boomed. "Your ineffectual actions caused his death, and you watched him die, and did not help."

"Justice, then." Hawke grated out angrily, his greasy black hair hanging over his eyes. "I was rather looking forward to not seeing you again."

"As was I you – for a mage yourself, you have very little care for their plight. Have you grown complacent, Champion? Hiding behind the title that the mortal will leave you be, whilst all others suffer around you?" Hawke whirled round sharply, shrugging Justice's hand off his shoulder, and gasped when he saw that the spirit had "borrowed" Anders's body.

"You bastard!" Hawke shouted. "First you taint his actions and mind in life, and now you desecrate his body in death? Have you no shame?" Justice slapped him.

Reeling from the force of the blow, that would have been a strong punch had it not been flat-handed, Hawke stared at the lifeless body of his lover, animated by a dark magic. It brought back memories of that night in the foundry where he found his mother, and, coupled with the fact he has just been drained of his mana, he sank to the floor and started to hyperventilate. Justice paced the floor, moving erratically, unsure how to control Anders's body completely on his own.

"You have lost me my host, and you have strayed from the cause. You must be made to see." Justice ranted. Hawke paid little attention – he could hear shouting from outside, possibly Sebastian. Struggling to take deep breaths, he decided to keep Justice talking.

"I must be made to see? See what? You murder of all those innocents at Mass in the Chantry that day? Or the fact you have cost me the man I loved, and made Anders and I go on the run, deserting all our friends in the process, maybe? Oh, here's an idea, Justice! How about 'making me see' that you trying to 'finish the job' with Sebastian here being a petty attempt at revenge, nothing to do with fucking justice at all! You're not a spirit!" And with those words, Hawke slowly stood up, leaning against the wall, still drained from the holy smite. "You, my dear _Vengeance, _are a _demon_!"

Justice growled at Hawke, and drew his hand back to slap him again, when the door caved through, and Sebastian's voice could be heard.

"Be careful."

Before Carroll could do a thing, Justice lit up blue, and threw himself at Sebastian, waves of destructive energy pulsing off him.

"You will pay for your crimes, Chantry preacher!" Carroll tried to conjure up a spark of lightning to capture the spirit's attention, but nothing but a fizzle came from his fingers – he still didn't have nearly enough mana left yet. With a cry of anger, he threw himself bodily into the fray.


	5. Arbitrations

Sebastian and Justice hit the floor with a crash, and Sebastian saw stars as his head hit the cobbled floors. Before he could gather his wits to respond, the spirit's fist slammed into his head.

"You will regret the day you stood against the mages!" Justice roared.

Sebastian responded with a swift kick to the groin, which slowed Justice slightly, but not enough. "Do you truly think your mortal strength can stop me?" Justice growled, punctuated with a devastating pulse of chaotic energy to Sebastian's face. Sebastian yelled in pain, and flailed his arms, fist connecting hard with the side of Justice's head. The spirit's neck cracked audibly, but it had little effect. Justice pulled his arm back, a ball of fire gracing his hand, ready to hit Sebastian once again. Before he could, Hawke jumped into the fray, and landed on top of Justice, winding Sebastian in the process.

"You will **not** touch him!" Hawke yelled. "There has been enough death caused by you, he will not be another victim!" In the commotion that Carroll's introduction to the fight caused, Sebastian managed to wrestle himself free from the spirit's grasp. Drawing his dagger, he plunged it up to the hilt into the spirit's chest, but to no avail. Justice directed his attention back to Sebastian, who nimbly stepped backwards, avoiding his wild swipes. Now there was space, two of the guardsmen ran into the room, swords drawn, and pinned Justice into a corner. Sebastian briefly registered that Brear wasn't with them, and hoped she was alright. Turning back to the spirit, and wishing he had kept two daggers on his person, Sebastian's eyes widened as Justice began to glow blue, cracks appearing in what was left of Anders's skin, and intense light shining from the hole in his throat.

"**Men! **Get _down_!" Sebastian bellowed, throwing himself to the ground, but his warning came too late for the two soldiers. With a speed so fast that it could barely be seen by the naked eye, Justice's arm swept out, _his bare arm_, and beheaded the two men, cleaving flesh from bone as easily as a knife through fat. As what was left of the guardsmen collapsed onto the floor in a boneless, bloody heap, the spirit turned its attention back to Sebastian. Justice's voice – pure Justice now, not a hint of Anders, boomed out, ear-splittingly loud in the small space.

"**Now it is your turn.**" Sebastian stood up quickly, but not quickly enough, for the spirit seemed to have got used to being in a new body now, and his rage afforded him incredible speed. Justice stepped over to Sebastian, and in the blink of an eye had him in a chokehold against the wall. Sebastian choked and sputtered for breath – without his bow, he had no chance of taking the spirit down, close combat had never been his thing.

"I'll give you your dues," Sebastian choked out, "You are the strongest abomination I've fought so far." Incensed, Justice pulled him back, and slammed him against the wall with incredible force.

"**Abomination, is it? Says the supporter of the heretical Chantry, who would oppress all mages due to one woman's carelessly spoken words?**" Although the edges of his vision were going blurry, and he figured he was about to pass out, Sebastian ran his tongue round his mouth, and spat in the spirit's eye.

"Do not speak... of your betters that... way... demon." Justice slammed him against the wall again, this time adding a burst of electricity that would have made Sebastian cry out in pain had he any breath left in his lungs.

"On second thoughts, don't speak at all." Justice didn't appear to hear him, and Sebastian wondered if he had said it out loud or just thought it. The spirit hit him with a wave of all-consuming white hot fire, and the last thing Sebastian processed was that his hair was on fire as he slipped into oblivion.

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Hawke sat by and watched with horror as two men were reduced to nothing but bones, meat, and ashes by the possessed body of one who had been his lover. He had no lyrium potions on his person, and no way to access any either. He was out of mana still, thanks to several holy smites by the probably well-meaning templar. He had no teammates at his back save Sebastian, who was currently...

_Fuck._

Hawke had two choices. Let his friend die, which was going to happen soon if he didn't intervene. Or do the unthinkable, and use blood magic.

The decision wasn't really his to make. Though he supposed that's what all blood mages said.

Drawing his dagger from his belt, Hawke closed his eyes as he drew the blade to his chest. Taking a deep breath, he slammed it in to the hilt, and nearly fell to his knees as the blood swirled in the air around him.

_And people do this regularly?_

Concentrating, as it was a ritual he had never used before, but witnessed from Merrill and others many times in Kirkwall, Carroll sent a destructive tendril of magic out towards his lover's reanimated corpse.

"Goodbye, Anders. I hope you can rest easy now." he whispered, as spools of his own blood carved flesh from bone. Justice turned to him, but he was too late for him to react. The spirit screamed as it left Anders's body, though whether with rage, or pain, Hawke couldn't tell. Ander's body turned to ashes, still smouldering lightly on the ground, and Hawke collapsed down beside Sebastian from blood loss.

The last thing he remembered doing before he passed out was putting the blood that poured from his chest wound to good use healing Sebastian.

Thus no-one was awake to hear a near-silent declaration from a disembodied voice.

"_I will be back."_


	6. Miscalculations

Sebastian woke with a start to someone shaking him, hard. He blearily opened his eyes, and wished that he hadn't as the harsh light from the window stung his eyes.

"Your Highness! Wake up! Your Highness!"

"...Who is that?" He slurred, tasting copper in his mouth. What had happened came back in a flash – how in the name of the Maker was he still alive? By all accounts he should be dead from the force of the attack Justice had launched on him. _Justice!_

Sebastian stood up unsteadily, his eyes struggling to focus, and with a terrible headache.

"It's Emma Brear, Ser." Sebastian didn't answer for a moment, so she carried on talking. "One of the lieutenants. Are you alright, Your Highness? I'm a bit worried you might have a concussion." He nodded at her.

"Most likely. And don't worry Brear, I know who you are. Glad to see you're still alive, more than I can say for your fellow guards..." He looked sadly over at what was left of their the charred bodies, and bowed his head in respect.

"Call for a priest, or an undertaker first, I presume. Let their families know, and... Yes, double their life insurance plans. I'll pay." Shaking his head wearily, Sebastian sighed. "Maker only knows the poor sods didn't sign up to fight abominations." Belatedly, he noted the absence of anyone else in the room. He turned to the lieutenant perhaps a bit too sharply, and staggered from the quick movement. _Perhaps a seat would be in order?_

"No..." he murmured to himself.

"Ser?" Brear inquired.

"Hawke. Where is Hawke?" Sebastian asked, pulling himself together somewhat. Brear's gaze narrowed.

"The blood mage? I sent him to the prison until we can work out what do to with him."

"_Blood mage?"_ Sebastian exclaimed. The lieutenant nodded.

"We found him collapsed over you, unconscious from blood loss. Obviously not a very _good_ blood mage. You were unconscious, and covered in his, and your blood. Two men were dead, and the body was nowhere to be seen. I assume he had tried to kill you, but luckily failed..." Emma's voice trailed off as Sebastian started to shake his head vigorously.

"No. Hawke wouldn't do that. The body of the other apostate, it was possessed by a spirit of vengeance. I watched the demon kill those men, with its bare hands. Hawke... Hawke's magic was drained, so he leapt in to try and help me. The last thing I remember was passing out, and now here I am, covered in blood... Hawke's blood.

A light of understanding dawned on Brear's face, and for a moment she looked troubled.

"Then he used blood magic to save your life... Admirable in some ways, but nothing excuses using forbidden magic."

"I think the fact that I'm alive and Starkhaven still has a ruler disproves that theory, don't you?" Sebastian snapped. _Stop it... Don't lose your only templar guardsman over this. _Sebastian visibly gathered himself, and sighed. "I'm sorry lietenant. I agree that blood magic is a foul thing. But in my time in Kirkwall, we met many blood mages. Some of them were desperate, and some of them were stupid. Others just wanted power. And yes, most of them were damned evil. But one that springs to mind, though naïve, was a sweet girl."

Brear raised an eyebrow, and Sebastian laughed.

"Aye. 'Sweet girl', and blood mage don't usually spring to mind in the same sentence. But my point remains – Hawke made her give up the blood magic, and she did. It took a lot to make her see, but she did it. And as far as I know from Varric, she's still not touched the stuff. Everyone deserves a second chance. I intend to at least talk to Hawke before we turn him into the templars – with you there to ensure there's no foul play. The templars can't know yet, I know they will execute him without a thought for the..."

"Serah." Brear interrupted quietly. "The prison we sent him to... it was Aeonar. I... would imagine he's halfway to Tevinter by now." Eyes wide, Sebastian set his jaw.

"Then we find him."


	7. Translations

**Hey all, sorry for the lack of chapters lately! Reviews help me write ;P And also, please let me know if there's anything wrong with the chapters, etc! I don't have a beta at the moment (she's a bit busy!), so there may be mistakes. Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! I intend to see this through to the end, I swear. (Although it's shaping up to be long. In my head anyway!) So... enough babbling! I hope you like this chapter, and please, please, please, review! PS There is a Princess Bride quote in here somewhere ;D PPS I will not be providing translations, as Hawke doesn't understand Orlesian. But please feel free to look the words up on google translate, or similar! :)**

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Carroll drifted in and out of conciousness – the only thing he managed to register when he was awake was that is was just as dark as when he wasn't. He didn't know where he was, but he was moving – or rather wherever he was trapped was moving. He struggled to sit up, and found his hands and feet bound uncomfortably, and walls on every side of him. Panicked, he banged on the sides of... whatever it was he was trapped in, only to be hit with a holy smite for his efforts.

_Templars..._ _Maker, please let it be Sebastian's guard and no anyone else._

His hopes were smashed by the sounds of two men laughing unkindly, then speaking to each other in Orlesian.

"Il est un fils de pute entrain. Je veux un tour sur lui avant d'y arriver." The other man tutted disapprovingly at the other's words.

"Vous êtes dégoûtant, Henri." There was a pause.

"Oui, je suis. Mais pourquoi dites-vous cela? J'ai entendu dire que vous les foutre aussi. Honte à les gaspiller, Eugène!" Henri replied, seemingly unsure of whatever he had said.

Eugène laughed, although it was not a pretty sound.

"C'est de Chevalier-Capitaine Eugène à vous, Henri. Peu importe. Pour répondre à votre question, je n'ai pas rompu mes vœux. Pas une seule fois." Another awkward pause, then Henri spoke again, in a nasally, wheedling tone, much like the one Gamlen used when he wanted something from Carroll.

"Oui, Chevalier-Capitaine, je m'en excuse. Il est une rumeur, mais j'ai entendu dans le cercle."

"C'est en partie vrai, Henri. J'ai pris les mages, plus d'une fois. Mais il est de leur montrer leur place. Pour leur montrer que je suis leur patron. Garder le monde à l'abri de mages et des mages sûrs d'eux-mêmes est de savoir comment mes vœux travail. Lorsque je les prends, même par la force, je suis au service du Maker. Rappelez-vous que."

"...Oui, Chevalier-Capitaine."

There was silence for a while after that, and due to blood loss, exhaustion, and sheer terror, Carroll fainted again.

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It had been three hours now since Hawke had been handed over to the Orlesian templars, badly wounded and unconscious. The templars had had an hour's head start, and had covered most of their tracks, perhaps suspecting a rescue attempt by rebellious apostates and mage sympathisers. Nevertheless, Sebastian was gaining on them, flanked by a team of six of his most trusted guardsmen, as well as Lieutenant Brear.

He had thought that he would be happy that the man who unwittingly helped blow up the Chantry was about to face justice, but was well aware that with Hawke's new status as a blood mage, he would soon be slaughtered, most likely without a trial. The man had sheltered, bedded, and aided a known fugitive, spared said fugitive when he murdered the hundreds of helpless people in the Chantry that day, and even attempted a plot on Sebastian's life.

But despite all this, despite the fact that up until less than a day ago he had been sure that he hated Carroll Hawke... Despite all those things, he could not allow an innocent child to be harmed, whether its parents were maleficars or not.

Lost in thought, Sebastian turned sharply at the shout of one of his men, signalling that they had found something and were ready to start tracking the templars again. Sebastian only hoped they arrived in time.

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Carroll was awoken with another holy smite, this one somehow more aggressive than the first, leaving him feeling physically drained and ill. He flinched as there was a loud creaking sound, and suddenly sunlight poured into the box, and his vision was blinded. Before he could react, he was dragged out of his prison, briefly registering it was a coffin with a sort of detached horror, before he was thrown on the ground. He squnted in the sunlight, and made out the blurry outline of a templar stood in front of him. There were at least three other templars he could see around the cart he had been on, perhaps more. The templar took his sword from its scabbard, and Hawke was sure that he would strike him down where he stood.

"Please." he croaked out, voice cracked from dehydration. "Please, I need to live." This seemed to amuse the other templars, although the man that stood in front of him's eyes burnt even angrier, if that were possible.

"Yes? What would that be, then?" The man had a cruel, cold voice – it matched his demeanour and his eyes. He continued before Hawke had a chance to answer. "What could it be that a _mage_ finds so important? True love? A girl of surpassing beauty and faithfulness, perhaps, tucked away somewhere? Or perhaps a man? Another mage, a murderer, maleficar, _abomination?" _He roared the last few words, and despite himself, tears ran down Hawke's cheeks. _He was right, after all. He should have __**known**__..._

Suddenly he was slapped, hard with a gauntleted hand, and there was a crunch as his nose broke, spraying blood all over the "Chevalier-Capitaine"'s armour, for Hawke now recognised the man who had spoken earlier.

"**Pay attention when your betters are talking to you**!" the Knight-Captain barked. He noticed the blood on his armour, and tore a strip from Carroll's ragged robes, to wipe it off, leaving a gaping hole in the front of his robe. Hawke instinctively went to cover his chest from the templars, before remembering his chest was bound. Knight-Captain Eugène's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Hawke froze. _Had the templar noticed? Did he know?_

But it seemed not, as the Knight-Captain grabbed him by his long hair and dragged him to his knees, bending down to face level with him. "Where is the abomination, _mage?_ Where is Anders?"

"...Dead." Hawke choked out through a mouthful of blood and tears. The man growled, and easily picked the malnourished man up, hefting him over his shoulder.

"I am taking the mage for questioning. Do _not_ disturb us." The other templars were quiet, but as their Knight-Captain left, Hawke could hear snickers and quiet cat-calls behind them. This didn't look good...

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They weren't far away now, having found discarded food and footprints left behind by the templars. They were hidden round a twist of the road in the forest – the perfect ambushplace, for them anyway. The only question now was how to go about rescuing him without arousing suspicion of the templars. _Maker, what if they had already made a phylactery? They would have to find and destroy that. So the shadow- sneaking and trickery was most likely out of the question, unless by some miracle the phylactery was out in the open instead of around a templar's neck. It was looking like they would have to go on the offensive after all... But Sebastian really didn't want to go against five well-trained, heavily armoured templars, not to mention the fact this could cause some serious trouble between Starkhaven and the Chantry. Damnit, they should have made a plan!_

An arrow whizzed past Sebastian's ear, and he jerked out of his thoughts, rolling to the side instinctively. He noticed Emma Brear near him, and shouted to her.

"Lieutenant! With me!" Together they quickly assessed the situation. They were surrounded by bandits. The templars may be surrounded as well, but Sebastian and his men didn't appear to have been noticed by the templars yet. _They could play this to their advantage._

Lieutenant Brear seemed to have had the same idea, and she nodded to the bandit's arrow in the tree behind Sebastian. Light suddenly dawning on him, Sebastian grabbed the arrow, and unhooked one of his traditional arrows with Starkhaven fletchlings. Putting the arrow into his bow, Sebastian took aim, and fired – a templar went down like a tonne of bricks.


End file.
